Salina, Kan. – 2015 didn't start as well as hoped for McPherson College as they dropped a 66-51 contest to Peru State College in game one of the Coyote Classic hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University.
It was a very slow going for both units as 10 points were not reached by either team until nearly nine minutes had gone by. It was a tight, back-and-forth battle between the two squads for most of the opening period. PSC took a 31-19 lead into the locker room after they closed out the half on a 13-2 run. The 'Dogs scored on just 5-of-20 field goals and were a dreadful 1-of-10 from deep. Peru State put in 12-of-32 from the floor and 3-of-11 were from behind the arc.
It was an even second half but Mac stayed behind by double figures throughout the final 20 minutes. The Bulldogs made a couple runs to try and break into their deficit but each time Peru State would hit a big basket to keep MC at bay. In the end, the Bobcats took the game 66-51. McPherson drastically improved their shooting percentage as 11-of-30 (36.7%) field goals dropped through but they continued to struggle from deep, 2-of-14. PSC connected on 10-of-31 including a solid 6-of-14 from distance; they made 9-of-10 from the foul line, making it difficult for a late comeback.
McPherson ended the night making 16 of their 50 field goals, 32%; a mere 3-of-24 three balls dropped through. During their late runs, Mac's inability to hit from the charity stripe really hampered their chances; they ended up making just 16-of-28 for the game, with eight coming in each half. The team was outrebounded 53-32 and allowed 22 offensive boards. The Bulldogs recorded 25 turnovers, 13 steals, eight assists, and three blocks; they did force 27 turnovers from Peru State.
Bailey Brown topped the scoring list for the game with her 17 points as she went 5-of-9 from the floor and 7-of-11 from the stripe; Brown also led the team in steals with six. Alicia Demaret put in 50% of her 12 field goals and also connected on 4-of-6 free throws for her 16 points, a new career-high; the forward recorded all three blocks for Mac. Sunny Smart led the team in rebounds with seven; the junior was just 1-of-12 from three-point land and made 3-of-5 free throws for her six points.
Tomorrow, January 3rd, the Bulldogs will take on York College at 12:00 p.m. (CT) at Mabee Arena in Salina; this is the second meeting of the two squads this year with the Panthers claiming the first matchup 82-58. Click here for live links.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
